Star Trek Movie News!

[Hugh Casey]

From SciFi.com:

Report: Abrams Will Helm Trek XI

Ending months of speculation, J.J. Abrams signed on to direct the next installment of the Star Trek feature-film franchise, sources told The Hollywood Reporter late on Feb. 23. Rumors had been circulating that Abrams, who is also co-writing and producing Star Trek XI, may have decided not to helm the film.

But the trade paper confirmed that Abrams will helm Star Trek XI, which it added will revolve around a young James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, chronicling their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and their first space mission. Abrams and Paramount have declined to confirm that version of the supposed story.

Abrams is the prolific co-creator/executive producer of ABC's Lost and directed Mission: Impossible III. He has been developing Star Trek XI through his Paramount-based Bad Robot production company. Abrams reportedly committed to directing the project only as of Friday evening, when the deal was finalized, sources told the trade paper.

So, there you have it. Discuss...

[IceGiant]

Abrams.....could be cool.

Early Kirk/Spock........Why? This new bent of prequals is kinds lame. There is so much they could do, say post war DS9. Post return Voyager (not my favorite) etc.

[JALU3]

It's because Hollywood hasn't come up with anything original in ages . . . and they are to risk adverse to try . . . and they don't want to make those classic medium budget films that end up being enjoyed for decades afterwards . . . either throwing their money on low budget quasi-indy ventures (which the big corps fund anyways) . . . or huge budget a list stars and high sfx flicks that open in a gazilion screens in a major metropolitain area.

[Meteo]

The biggest s***pile of them all.

[Hugh Casey]

Possible casting news from IGN:

Bones: Gary Sinise (OK, this is one choice I just LOVE!)

Spock: Adrian Brody (Maybe. Just maybe.)

Kirk: Matt Damon (Oh, just shoot me now.)

*cue sound clip from "Team America: World Police"... "Matt Damon! Matt Damon!"*

(Now Daniel Dae Kim and James McAvoy as Sulu and Scotty... OK, I'll go with them.)

Now, mind you, I think that the best way for them to re-start the franchise is to "re-boot" it, with a new cast, new effects, but most of all... NEW STORIES! Not just a freakin' rehash of the same old thing that we've gotten for the last *mumble-mumble* years! And, sorry, but I think that's what we're gonna get, here.

Hey, Paramount! Put ME in charge of the franchise! You know... someone who actually KNOWS something about why people love Trek!

[tonyg]

Its so funny, since orginalityis one of the key ingredients to the success of a series like Trek.

Paramount's problem is that they don't know why TOS and TNG worked, so they go back to try and recapture whatever the magical ingredients were.

How long has it been since we really had some ships "exploring strange new worlds". ENTERPRISE tried to "explore" worlds that were not so new to the viewers, VOY didn't have the time to really explore, since it was too far from home, and DS9 was set mostly on, DS9. TNG did some exploration, but that was over 13 years ago.

I don't thing the era is so important, just as long as they don't put themselves into a situation where they need to worry about continuity. Just put a ship on the frontier with new species to run into. There are lots of loose threads that could be used for a good series, too.

[JALU3]

And why must we keep exploring the quadrants we know about . . . what about the quadrants we don't know . . . or what is beyond the Great Galactic Barrier? That is if the Federation is even close to it . . .
Or what about the area beyond the two Great Beta Empires (Klingon & Romulan)?
Or what about our near intergalactic neighboors?

But all these are series ideas . . .

[spshu]

Paramount Officially Announces Trek XI For Christmas 2008

Paramount Pictures today officially announced the return of Star Trek on Christmas Day 2008.
<snip>
"We could not be more thrilled to be back in business with J.J. Abrams," Paramount CEO and Chairman Brad Grey said. "The revival of the Star Trek franchise is an important part of Paramount’s turnaround."

[Tobian]

It's an unfortunate problem that trek fans have diverged on what it is that they like about Trek. However it is clear that Trek fans of the world unite in their hatred of matt Damon as Captain Kirk.. So naturally that's what we'll get

I really do hope they get this right, but like most people here, yes I want a forward looking show, not another rehash!

[JALU3]

As with Politics . . . what matters is that what you support, even in what appears to be dark hours . . . brings the watcher a sense of hope . . . Star Trek, in the 60's, looked at ourselves through a different lense . . . but gave us a sense of hope that there was a better future.

Where is this hope with a prequal about the heroes of TOS in Starfleet Acadamy?

Even the darkest hero must bring hope to what seems to be an impossible situation.

[Doug Burke]

However it is clear that Trek fans of the world unite in their hatred of matt Damon as Captain Kirk.. So naturally that's what we'll get

We do? *shrug* Okay. Personally, i don't have a problem with it. But then, I liked the idea of Michael Keaton as Batman before most people accepted it, too. Maybe it's me...

[Erik Filean]

I wouldn't even worry about any casting rumors at this stage. Trek XI has just now been greenlighted (i.e., officially entered preproduction). Casting is probably at a barely legible scrawlings on napkins stage, or at best casually asking about availability of several actors for major roles. The Matt Damon reports are most likely baloney being passed around by wild-eyed gossips who only know the biggest names in the business.

[Liquidator Queeg]

We might as well have:

John Belushi as Kirk.
Dan Akroyd as Bones.
Chevy Chase as Spock.

Now, that I'd pay to see. Oh wait a second ...

LQ